Monday, February 01, 2016

A simple tea rack

 
Many years ago when our daughters were at a boarding high school, they often brought friends home with them for the weekend.  At that time we kept our boxes of herbal and flavored tea neatly stacked in a kitchen cabinet.  Neatly, that is, until one went to pull out a particular box of teabags.  Then the stacking system revealed its inadequacies and instability.

I will never forget how embarrassed I was one weekend when some of the girls were making a cup of tea.  One of them reached for a particular flavor, and at least a half dozen boxes came out of the cabinet with it in a mini-avalanche of tea boxes!  Yes, we had come to the point where we had so many tea boxes that they began tumbling out of the cupboard.  Obviously, we had to figure out different storage for them.

 I had seen a rack for holding tea boxes offered in a tea catalog for around $80. It was beautifully constructed -- out of oak, if I remember right.  I showed it to Mr. T.  He figured he could make a “rustic” one out of pine to serve the same purpose, and he did. It's still serving us admirably after all these years. I couldn’t get a photo that showed the top shelf (too narrow of an area where the rack is located next to our back door), but the top shelf could be used either for display (which I do) or for 2 additional tea boxes.

Mr. T would want me to caution you, I know, that this rack is what he calls “rustic, very rustic.” It is  by no means fine carpentry and he realizes that. But it's a wonderful storage solution and is commented upon by almost everyone who spends any time in our kitchen.

It's fun, when visitors come and we offer them tea, for us to just point them to the tea rack and let them choose the flavor they like.

At the bottom of the rack, I have hung a teapot hanging made out of felt from a kit some years ago.
I’ve always wanted to make another, and saved the pattern just in case. And after many years, I did make another, this for a dear friend.

And then this final photo, which was not taken in my kitchen, but instead in an apartment kitchen in faraway Nevada. My daughter who lives in Nevada wanted a tea rack like mine, so on one of our first visits there,  Mr. T and our son-in-law worked together to make one. It’s so neat to think of her having something just like mine, that was handmade and designed by her dad, in her kitchen too.  Ten years later, with six growing children, they are no longer in a small apartment, but in a house, where the tea rack is on a dining room wall.


Hope you have enjoyed seeing this  simple tea rack.  If you also have issues with the current system you're using to store your boxes of tea, you might like to think about constructing one for your own use!  Mr. T won't mind a bit if you borrow his "rustic" idea!

I am linking up today with Sandi's No Place Like Home at Rose Chintz Cottage  and Bernideen’s Tea Time, Cottage and Garden Blog Party.  Also with Roses of Inspiration  and Share Your Cup Thursday.

36 comments:

  1. What a cute idea! I have never seen anything like this and the tea lover that I am this is a really cute idea! Have a great week, Lynn

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    1. I am glad you liked seeing the tea rack, Lynn! We surely have enjoyed it over the years. Hope you have a great week too!

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  2. It looks great to me and what an addition to your decor...love all the graphics and color!! Don't forget to drop by Nanaland and enter the giveaway. I think it is something you could use this time of the year!!

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    1. Thanks, Arlene! I did go over and enter the giveaway. The gloves are so pretty! It's 50º here today, but I'm sure that winter isn't really over.

      Yes, those graphics on the tea boxes -- so much fun. I wish that Celestial Seasonings hadn't "updated" theirs. The new designs are nice enough, but I really preferred the old ones!

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  3. Such great graphics on tea boxes, too! Great, great solution!

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    1. Glad you like it, Vee! I know that your hubby could easily make one like it (or more likely, a better one!). It's been such a great solution to tea storage.

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  4. What a fabulous idea! I could sure use one of these. It looks great too.Whenever I offer anyone tea, I have to open up a canister, a tea caddy, and two cupboards so they can choose one. In the cupboard, I have to move the tea around so you can see them all. A bit embarrassing and inconvenient too. This is one of the neatest things I've seen in a while! Wish my father was here to build me one. He loved building things. Thanks for sharing.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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    1. Sandi, I am so happy that you like it. Such a simple solution, yet so effective and attractive too. Might you have someone in your church or your circle of friends who could put one of these together for you?

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  5. That, is, brilliant! And so sweet to be a family tradition! My teas are all in foil re sealable bags in a vintage bread box. Not easy to view the selection. A rack with containers is very much what I need to ponder. Lovely idea! Husband points Mr.T, wink.

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  6. I love your Tea Rack!!!! I also love your kitchen wallpaper!! AND that hanging tea pot! I love it ALL!!!!

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  7. LOVE this! Thank you for sharing this fabulous idea!

    I also enjoyed seeing the charming covers of the CS teas!

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  8. Oh my goodness! I love this idea! I need one of those, lol! Indeed, I am a hot tea drinker, and love all kinds of tea, and this would make a perfect little place for all those boxes of tea! Your husband did a fine job... I love the look of it, and so awesome that he made it, and you didn't have to pay $80 for it!!!! :)

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  9. Okay, now Blogger is now allowing me to reply to your individual comments, so I will have to just greet you all as a group! I am glad that you all enjoyed seeing my tea rack! I am sure that a purchased one (unless you could find it in a thrift shop!) would probably cost much more than $80 today. I don't think that Mr. T even wrote down how he made it; he just measured the tea boxes and went from there. Anyone who can do basic woodworking could surely figure it out. The rack could certainly be made larger if desired to accommodate more boxes of tea.

    Linda, my kitchen wallpaper could also be considered vintage! It's been on there since the 1970s but I still love it and can't bring myself to change it. The kitchen will eventually need a re-do (due to some structural issues that must be addressed) and something will have to change then. I won't be going the wallpaper route next time, so will continue to enjoy this while I have it!

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  10. I meant to say "Blogger is NOT allowing me to reply to your individual comments." Last week I changed the configuration of the comments so I could do just that, but it doesn't always work. Thank you all for visiting my kitchen table!

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  11. I love your tea rack and I think it's wonderful that your daughter has one, too. I think tea boxes/containers seem to clone themselves! Happy Tea Day!

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    1. Isn't it fun that we each have one of these, Snap? I thought it was so neat that my daughter wanted one of these in her own kitchen. And I agree ... tea boxes seem to multiply!

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  12. What a great tea selection. I love the convenience of this too! So glad you shared.

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    1. It is indeed convenient, Bernideen. I love being able to see what teas I have, and it's easy to see when a box becomes empty and I need to buy another. At this point it doesn't hold quite all of the teas that we have, but most of them. One could easily make a larger rack.

      Thanks for hosting tea time. I'm happy I could share something this week.

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  13. What a terrific idea to hold tea boxes. I keep mine in a couple of small drawers in my hoosier that are dedicated to tea but yours is fun for when you have company. I LOVE that woolie tea pot and may have to steal the idea.... adapting to my colors. I do a bit of wool embroidery. Just a lovely visit today!

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    1. I would love to have a Hoosier, Beth! I think they are so nifty. A couple small drawers dedicated to tea sounds great too.

      Oh, by all means use the wooly tea pot idea! I made that one from a kit years ago, but saved the pattern and finally did make another as a gift.

      Thanks for visiting my kitchen table! Please visit anytime. I don't post every day, but the archives are full to overflowing.

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  14. What a lovely tea rack! My tea is stuffed into a cupboard and I must confess that when I open the door a lot of it falls out :) I must show this to my sweet hubby as I know he could make one.

    Thank you so much for joining Roses of Inspiration this week. Hugs and joy to you!

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    1. Oh, I hope that your hubby makes you one of these! The idea could definitely be customized to make a larger rack. All of my teas won't fit in this at this point, but I change them out seasonally when I think of it, so there are only a few loose boxes to keep track of.

      Thanks for stopping by my kitchen table today. Please visit anytime!

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  15. I am really impressed with this tea shelf. It is a fabulous idea. I think most of us are confessing that our tea cupboards are a bit of a mess.
    You have a very cute blog.

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    1. Lady Linda, I am so sorry to take so long to reply to you! Every once in awhile blogger fails to notify me of a comment and buries it on my comment moderation page.

      I am glad you enjoyed seeing the tea shelf and the blog. Please do come and visit again any time. There's lots in the archives that might interest you.

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  16. Mrs. T, Thanks so much for sharing this idea. I have been looking for a tea storage idea and this idea may work. I use a lot of loose leaf tea but if I standardized the containers it could work. I will work on that. Thanks again. Sylvia D.

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    1. Welcome, Sylvia! I hope this idea does work for you. I think if you used tins that are about the same size as a tea box, like the size of International Coffee tins, it could work quite well.

      I just looked on Amazon, and there are several types of stainless steel tins that would work quite well. Or you could find something similar in a kitchen store. Glad you could use the idea! Please visit anytime!

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  17. What a clever way to store your tea. I love the tradition too.

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    1. Thank you, Sharon! I am happy that you visited. Please stop by my kitchen table anytime. Have a wonderful weekend!

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  18. I love your tea shelf! How clever! And the teapot needlework...so cute! I have read the Elizabeth Elliot book but it's been awhile...need to look it out.
    Ruth

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    1. Ruth, I am glad you liked the tea shelf! It's been so helpful over the years and I am glad you like the felt teapot as well. It was a fun project to make!

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  19. I LOVE the tea shelf. :) Rustic things are often my favorite! :) We call it character here. :) Our dining table we bought thrifted and the homemade rusticness of it is what made me want to bring it home.

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    1. Nikki, I am so glad you like the tea shelf. Yes, character is a good word too! Pretty much everything in our house has character -- whether rustic, homemade, vintage, or simply used! Both our hutch and our corner cupboard are handmade and quite rustic, but I love them.

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  20. This is a very nice idea. And, it looks very cute on your wall.

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    1. Deb, welcome! I'm glad you like the tea rack. Yes, the colors of the tea boxes do look very pretty against that strawberry wallpaper, don't they?

      Thanks for visiting and please come by anytime. Lots of things in the archives that might interest you!

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  21. This is such an adorable and functional idea! I love it! Visiting you from Sandi's Rose Chintz Cottage.

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  22. I'm glad you like the tea rack! It surely has been a blessing in our kitchen all these years! Thanks for the visit and please stop by any time!

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Thanks so much for stopping by to visit my kitchen table! I love company here in my kitchen, so be sure to leave a comment so I'll know you've visited! I'll answer your questions and comments here on the blog unless you request otherwise.